Safety feature in pressurized containers



Feb. 2, 1965 G. R. WILLIAMS 3,163,210

SAFETY FEATURE IN PRESSURIZED CONTAINERS Filed Dec. 28, 1962 INVENTOR United States Patent 3,168,210 SAFETY FEATURE IN PRESSURIZED CONTAWERS Gladney R. Williams, 502 Main St, East Aurora, N.Y. Filed Dec. 28, 1962, Ser. No. 247,951 2 Claims. (Cl. 22ll--89) This invention relates generally to pressurized containers of the type used to store and dispense various substances such as insecticides, deodorizing compounds, liquid food and the like. More particularly the object of this invention resides in the provision of such a container having a greatly improved safety factor over that of existing containers of this nature.

The provision of low pressure containers including a fluid propellant of the liquid or gaseous type and having a safety release device incorporated therein is by now relatively common in the art, the safety features being necessitated by the tendency of such containers to explode upon the repellant expanding due to excessive heat such as that encountered during incineration of the spent container.

This problem of pressure build up and the subsequent danger to people engaged in the disposal of the containers has resulted in the necessity to rupture the containers prior to the incineration, and this operation, in addition to the preliminary separation of the containers from other similar non-pressurized oans, has presented a time-consuming problem. Furthermore, such containers have been known to explode in circumstances other than intense heat application, exposure to sun-light itself having been known to create sufficient pressure within the container to cause an explosion.

Prior devices have been proposed in an effort to eliminate this problem and the more conventional solutions have incorporated some form of blowout port, this consisting of a strategically positioned hole formed through the container body, thereafter being sealed off by means of a heat fusible compound adapted to be used at a preselected temperature, thereby releasing the built-up pressure within the container well before such pressure reaches the stage whereby it will shatter the container.

Further devices adapted to overcome the problem teach various forms of rupturable plugs and inserts, such devices breaking down at a specified pressure level.

It has been found that devices of the prior art, while achieving their several intended objects with varying degrees of efficiency, yet sulfer from certain limitations and disadvantages for example: the fusible compound seals not operating as scheduled unless the heat source is applied directly. Again as in the case of containers relying upon rupturable discs, certain modifications in the container structure have been found necessary, such as, for instance, the provision of a blow-out chamber adapted to absorb the initial discharge of pressure.

Having in mind, therefore, the aforementioned restrictions and disadvantages of prior devices in this field and realizing the necessity to provide a simple, eflicient and inexpensive safety device for use with pressurized containers, it is a prime object of my invention to provide an improved safety feature, referred to hereinafter as a release vent system, which will, at a pre-selected temperature, release the built up pressure within a pressurized container.

It is another important object of this invention to provide a release vent system which will, upon being deployed in a plurality of locations upon a pressurized container, ensure that the container will, upon a pre-selected temperature being attained, be exhausted of its pressurized propellent, irrespective of where the heat is applied.

It is still a further object of this invention to provide a release vent system requiring a minimum of tooling and capable of being incorporated in any pressurized container without said container being altered in any particular of its standard construction.

Yet another object of this invention resides in the provision of a release vent system which will operate at preferred low temperatures.

A yet further object of this invention is to provide a release vent system which is extremely inexpensive, highly efiicient and particularly well adapted to eliminate those undesirable features of hazard attendant on pressurized containers having no vent release therein.

These and various other objects and features of my invention will become more readily apparentfrom the subsequent detailed descriptions of parts and arrangements and when taken in conjunction with the following drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a pressurized container corporlating a plurality of release vents within its walls.

FIG. 2 is a part section view of a pressurized container showing the relationship of a release vent and seal to the container walls.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view of a pressurized container showing a vent release hole in phantom and a seal thereover.

Referring now to FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, a pressurized container indicated generally by the arrows 10 comprises a body unit 11 having a side wall, a sealed base 12, a sealed cap 13 and conventional dispensing means 14 of the type generally associated with pressurized containers of this nature. As dispensing means 14 form no part of the instant invention, none of its specific details are illustrated.

Pressurized container 10 is of the type commonly known as an Aerosol bomb dispenser and is, for the purposes of this particular specification, described as such, whereas it should be readily understood that the instant invention may be incorporated in any pressurized container irrespective of shape, size, or utilization.

It is proposed that during manufacture of container 10, body unit 11 has, at strategic locations, small holes 15 formed therethrough in the side wall thereof. Holes 15 may be located in any suitable part of body unit 11, a preferred embodiment locating two of holes 15 diametrically opposite each other and just beneath the seal 15 joining body unit 11 to cap 13, and two further holes 15 diametrically opposite each other and just above sealed base 12 joining base 12 to body unit 11.

Lower holes 15 should be so located as to have their axes at right angles to the axes of upper holes 15, thereby ensuring that whatever the position of container during use or after disposal, any heat applied thereto will be applied substantially directly to the proximity of at least one of holes 15.

Upon holes 15 having been formed Within body unit 11 as described, a sealing cap 17 of soft solder or the like is applied in a fused state thereby blanking off holes 15 completely. The sealing compound should be such as to have a lower fusing point and one having a fusing point of approximately deg. F. has been found to be eminently suitable for the required purposes.

Holes 15 may be of an extremely small diameter and sealing caps 17 are consequently of such small volume that they do not present unsightly projections on body unit 11.

The pressure built up within container 10 during the propellent charging is insufiicient to create a rupture of the container but should the container be subjected to undue heat the pressure will build up to a critical point whereat the inherent strength of the container will break down and rupturing or exploding of the container is caused.

of its contents and thrown out for disposal, the residual quantity of propellent remaining therein is quite harmless unless subjected to heat. As most containers of this nature are destined for incineration the results are, unless the container is punctured priorto incineration, an explosion of some considerable force.

However, upon such containers being supplied with vent releases as embodied in the instant invention no such explosion occurs, due to sealing caps 17 fusing at .a low temperature thus opening holes 15 and allowing the trapped propellent to issue at a harmless rate of discharge.

While the instant invention is intended to apply primarily to the conventional aerosol type container it is not of necessity limited in application to such type containers and may be used in co-operation with any container having pressurized content.

The general design of the individual parts of the invention as explained above may be varied according to requirements of manufacture and production thereof while still remaining in the spirit and principle of the invention, without prejudicing the novelty thereof.

I claim: I

1. A pressurized container including a body unit having a side wall, a sealed base and a sealed cap containing dispensing means, said body unit side wall having plural perforations therethrough, said perforations being 7 pressure sealed by sealing means fusible at a temperature lower than that required to rupture said container, at least two of said perforations being spaced apart lengthwise of said body unit with one located closely adjacent said base and the other located closely adjacent said cap, and at least two of said perforations being spaced apart circumferentially around said body unit side wall, thereby providing fusibly sealed perforations adjacent the opposite ends of said body unit side wall and on opposite sides of said body unit, whereby upon said container being 7 ing a side wall, a sealed base and a sealed cap'containing dispensing means,'said body unit having a right-cylindrical configuration, said body unit side wall having four perforations therethrough, two of said perforations being diametrically opposed to one another and located closely adjacent said sealed cap, the second two of said perforations being diametrically opposed to one another and located closely adjacent said base, each of said perforaQ tions being located in a different quadrant of said rightcylindrical body unit configuration,said perforations being pressure sealed by sealing means fusible at a temperature lower than that required to rupture said container.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner.

WESLEY S, COLE, Examiner. 

1. A PRESSURIZED CONTAINER INCLUDING A BODY UNIT HAVING A SIDE WALL, A SEALED BASE AND A SEALED CAP CONTAINING DISPENSING MEANS, SAID BODY UNIT SIDE WALL HAVING PLURAL PERFORATIONS THERETHROUGH, SAID PERFORATIONS BEING PRESSURE SEALED BY SEALING MEANS FUSIBLE AT A TEMPERATURE LOWER THAN THAT REQUIRED TO RUPTURE SAID CONTAINER, AT LEAST TWO OF SAID PERFORATIONS BEING SPACED APART LENGTHWISE OF SAID BODY UNIT WITH ONE LOCATED CLOSELY ADJACENT SAID BASE AND THE OTHER LOCATED CLOSELY ADJACENT SAID CAP, AND AT LEAST TWO OF SAID PERFORATIONS BEING SPACED APART CIRCUMFERENTIALLY AROUND SAID BODY UNIT SIDE WALL, THEREBY PROVIDING FUSIBLY SEALED PERFORATIONS ADJACENT THE OPPOSITE ENDS OF SAID BODY UNIT SIDE WALL AND ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID BODY UNIT, WHEREBY UPON SAID CONTAINER BEING SUBJECTED TO A HEAT SOURCE AT LEAST ONE OF SAID PERFORATIONS AND ITS IMMEDIATE AREA WILL BE EXPOSED TO SAID HEAT SOURCE, THEREBY ALLOWING ITS SEALING MEANS TO FUSE AT A CRITICAL TEMPERATURE, THUS RELEASING ANY PRESSURE BUILD UP WITHIN SAID CONTAINER. 